The Home Office review downplayed cases of intimidation of vulnerable women, saying that anti-abortion harassment was “not the norm”.

Harassment has a profoundly negative impact

The decision was met with despair from pro-choice activists and the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (Bpas), which said the protesters have a “profoundly negative impact on women seeking healthcare”.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid (Photo: Reuters)

But Fiona Bruce, MP for Congleton and a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Pro-Life Group, welcomed the decision and praised those who “gave up their time to help these women”.

“This is a win for both the mothers who have been and will be helped outside abortion clinics and for the volunteers who give up their free time to offer help to these women,” she said.

‘Legislation already exists’

“The evidence gathered in the review has found that predominantly, pro-life activities outside abortion clinics are peaceful. In some places this has been the case for over 20 years. The volunteers themselves are committed to praying for and, if requested, to providing non-judgemental, practical support for women in crisis.

“As the statement makes clear, adequate legislation already exists so that the police have the powers to act in the extremely rare event of a non-peaceful protest.

“I welcome the decision of the Home Secretary Sajid Javid to stand up for the long-established freedoms of expression and association in this country, and am grateful to him for listening to Members of Parliament on this important issue.

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said the decision was ‘disgusting’ (Photo: Getty)

“We now hope to see local authorities follow suit in rejecting the imposition of ‘buffer zones’ at local level across the country.”

The review was considering whether to implement a national demo-free area around clinics similar to one imposed by Ealing council in April.

The west London authority formed a 100m zone around its clinic to protect women who were arriving and leaving. It did so using the The Public Order Act 1986 which can be used to restrict protests than can cause harm to others.

A ‘disgusting failure’

The Home Office statement said that councils will still be able to implement their own buffer zones but there will not be a nationwide ban.

Tory Home Secretary @sajidjavid is a disgrace. How can he support vulnerable women seeking abortion advice being harassed & intimidated by anti-abortion campaigners? https://t.co/5DL4FNXryK

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said Mr Javid had “given the green light for women to be harassed and abused for exercising their right to choose” and described it as a “disgusting failure to uphold women’s rights over their own bodies”.

Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the home affairs select committee, added: “The whole point of having this review was because existing powers are not working or are proving cumbersome and difficult for councils or the police to use.”

Ms Murphy, from Bpas, added: “As the minister states, Ealing Council’s buffer zone has proved effective at reducing the harassment and intimidation outside their abortion clinic. We will now look to work with councils to roll out this model across the country to protect women and staff in clinics affected by protests.

“However, we are very clear that if the remedies suggested by the Home Secretary, including council-led Public Space Protection Orders and guidance from police, do not prove effective, we will look again at pursuing the national legislation that we still believe would be the best way to deal with this issue.”

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